What’s New at the 2025 Minnesota State Fair

It’s almost time for the Great Minnesota Get-Together! 🎡 Whether you’re a die-hard fair family who never misses a year or you just come for the cookies and animals, 2025 has a ton of new things worth checking out.

Here are the highlights I’m most excited about:

A Fresh Look for Fair Merch

Every year, the fair rolls out a new “featured design” for all the T-shirts, mugs, totes, and more. This year’s design is super fun—a colorful mash-up of fair icons (think corn dogs, roasted corn, the Skyride, even a wild rice cheeseburger!) that secretly spells out “Minnesota State Fair ‘25.” I’ll definitely be grabbing a kitchen towel or two for souvenirs.

The Thunderbird: Not for the Faint of Heart

If you’ve got thrill-seekers in the family, make a stop at Adventure Park. The Thunderbird is the tallest portable swing in North America and takes you 180 feet in the air. Translation: incredible views of the fairgrounds… if you can keep your eyes open. 😅

Blast Off with NASA

This might be my favorite new addition: Journey to Space, a hands-on exhibit where kids (and parents!) can see what it’s like to live and work on the International Space Station. Plus, from Aug. 21st–24th only, NASA is actually at the fair! They’re bringing spacesuits, a moon rock from Apollo 15, and even a Minnesota-born NASA flight director you can meet. Your space-loving kids are going to lose it. 🚀

New Rides for All Ages

Midway Thrills: Overdrive (fast spinning, lots of lights) and The Scorpion (swoopy, tilty fun).
Kidway Additions: Hampton Space Age (junior astronauts pilot their own spaceship) and Jumbo the Flying Elephant (yes, you control the up-and-down action—hello Dumbo vibes!).

Instagram Teen Accounts Booth

Parents of tweens and teens—this one’s for you. From Thursday, Aug. 21 through Sunday, Aug. 24, stop by the Instagram Teen Accounts booth (open 9 a.m.–9 p.m.) to learn about the protections built into Instagram for teen users. There’s an interactive photo booth (fun for kids), plus product highlights and info to give parents some extra peace of mind. Definitely worth a stop if your family is navigating the world of social media. 📱

Warner Coliseum Updates

The Warner Coliseum (where so many of us have sat for horse shows, rodeos, and more) is getting a big facelift. They’ve added new ramps and accessible seating, and you can check out the progress during the fair. There’s even a program where you can sponsor a seat if you want to leave a family mark on the place.

Bachman’s Floral Magic

If you need a breather from rides and crowds, step into the Floral Rotunda in the Agriculture Horticulture Building. This year’s theme is “Up North,” with displays inspired by Lake Superior, the Boundary Waters, and Minnesota cabin country. It’s gorgeous and also air-conditioned. 😉

Easier & More Accessible for Families

The fair has been making things friendlier for parents and kids:

A new Momentum Refresh station with a sensory-friendly and breastfeeding space.
Expanded ASL interpretation and audio descriptions for exhibits.
A bigger entry area at Gate 2 (less crowd bottlenecking!).

Competitions & Family Fun

New contests this year include sable goats in the livestock show (adorable!) and FFA floral creations. Creative competitions are also getting fresh themes like Life on the Lake cakes and Bugs & Insects cupcakes. My kids always love wandering through the Creative Activities Building to see what other kids (and grown-ups) come up with.

Celebrations & History

The 4-H Building is turning 85!
Math On-A-Stick celebrates 10 years and will feature Minnesota’s Largest Pattern Block Mosaic on Aug. 31st (fun for little hands).
Hmong Minnesota Day celebrates 10 years too, with music, dance, and cultural showcases on Labor Day.

Foodies, Take Note

Good news: there’s now a second location for pickle pizza (woohoo!). A new food hub called Street Eats at Randall & Underwood is also debuting with some fun restaurants, including BABA’s. Plus, there are dozens of new vendors selling everything from smoked coffee to homemade jams.

Here’s a list of all the new foods for 2025!

Bottom Line

The Minnesota State Fair has always been about traditions—cookies, animals, rides, concerts—but every year they sneak in new surprises. 2025 is shaping up to be bigger and better than ever, with space exhibits, new rides for both big kids and littles, and plenty of shopping and food stops.

So grab your sunscreen, pack your comfy shoes, and I’ll see you at the fair! 🎡🍪🌻

Want more info about all these new things? Check out the fair’s guide to what’s new this year.

Also check out my guide:

How to Save Money at the 2025 Minnesota State Fair